This invention relates to a cleaner for a playing head of a cassette player.
Cassette tapes having a sprocket drive are becoming increasingly popular in tape playing machines. Increasingly they are replacing those cartridges in which the tape is driven by a capstan that, in turn, is driven by an electric motor. In a cartridge machine the tape is pinched between the capstan of the tape player and a pinch wheel in the cartridge. Rotation of the capstan by an electric motor drives the tape across a playing head to play the recorded sound. However, cassette players that have a sprocket drive have two reels and the magnetic tape is passed between the reels across a playing head. Drive in such a machine is by a sprocket in the cassette player engaging in teeth in the interior of the tape receiving reels. The sprockets turn, engage the teeth of the reels and thus force the tape across the tape playing head.
In many of the tape playing devices, cartridge or cassette, the cleaning of the tape heads can be a problem. This is particularly so in those tape players used in automobiles. Normally the tape playing head is positioned at the bottom of a recess that receives and retains the cassette or cartridge tape in a playing position. The cassette or cartridge is typically provided with means to retain itself within the recess. However, the location of the tape playing head at the base of the recess makes the cleaning difficult. Yet for continued use it is essential that the tape playing head be kept clean.
There have been proposals to clean the playing head of tape players. Generally speaking, they rely on a hand operated lever extending through a cartridge. At one end of the lever there is a cleaning pad that contacts the tape playing head. At the other end of the lever, which extends through the back of the cartridge and out of the recess, there is a handle so that the cleaning pad can be reciprocated across the tape playing head. However, this can be undesirable. In particular, if a playing head performs badly in an automobile there is a temptation for the driver to clean the head while the car is moving, which is dangerous.
The present invention avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and, in particular, provides an automatic cleaner of the playing head of a cassette player. It is merely necessary to insert the cleaner of the present invention into the recess of the cassette player for the cleaner to clean the playing head of the cassette player. The cleaner may be left in position for a few minutes and then removed. After this, the playing head of the cassette player is adequately cleaned.